Yellow-eyed Penguin - Megadyptes antipodes

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DESCRIPTION: Tall and heavy penguin (56-78 cm, 4.2 to 8.5 kg), with a pale yellow band of feathers across the nape and around the eyes. Forecrown, chin and cheeks black-flecked yellow, sides of the head and foreneck light fawn-brown, back and tail slate blue; ventral part and underside of the flipers, white. Redish long bill. Yellow eyes, the feet pale to deeper pink dorsally and black-brown ventrally. Juveniles lack the pale yellow band and have a paler eye and paler dorsal head.
DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand: South-east coast of South Island, Stewart Island and adjacent island, Aukland and Campbell Islands.
HABITAT: Marine, nests in coastal areas with dense vegetation, in slopes and cliffs. Forage in shallow coastal waters. Nests are sufficiently spaced among dense vegetation to be visually isolated.
BREEDING BIOLOGY: Sexual maturity at 2-3years old in females, males most at 3 years old. Nest occupation starts at July-August. Two eggs layed in September, incubation is made by both sexes during 39-51 days. First down dark brown, second pale brown. Not form crèches. Fledging at about 106 days.

Photos by: P. G. Borboroglu and H. Ratz

FEEDING: Mid-shelf feeders, 2-25 km offshore. Prey species are pelagic and demersal in habit, including mostly fishes like Sprattus antipodum, Pseudophychis bachus, Hemerocoetes spp., Auchenoceros punctatus, Argentina elongata and Parapercis colias, some cephalopods, and crustaceans.
REPRODUCTIVE POPULATION: 1,700 pairs.
CONSERVATION STATUS AND THREATS: “Endangered (EN)” (IUCN Red List 2018) on the basis of being confined to a small range when breeding, its forest/scrub habitat decline in quality, and its populations undergone extreme fluctuations in numbers. Main threats are the habitat destruction and fragmentation, disturbance, and introduced predators.
SOURCE: Source: Seddon, P.J., Ellenberg, U., and van Heezik, Y. 2013. Yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes). In PENGUINS: NATURAL HISTORY AND CONSERVATION (García Borboroglu, P.G. and Boersma P.D. eds.) University of Washington Press, Seattle U.S.A. 328 pp.